I haven’t posted in awhile because I just returned from a trip to New Mexico. I flew to Albuquerque to see the balloon fiesta and spent a day in Taos and a day in Santa Fe. You can see my photos at http://www.jsuddath.shutterfly.com

I mailed a query letter to National Geographic Traveler with a SASE but didn’t even receive a form letter response. I either hear nothing or get a negative response to my queries to both regional and national magazines for the past year and get no leads from my three web sites and blogs so I’m getting discouraged. I’ve read several books and articles with samples of good query letters and even had a mentor edit a letter so I think it’s just a tough market if you’re not a well-known writer. I’ve heard odds of 10:1 to 15:1 to get an acceptance even if you’re established. Is it really that difficult?

So what has been you experience in “cold-calling?” Most publications specify whether they prefer e-mail or regular mail and what samples they require. I even went to a writer’s workshop in DC to make a personal contact with an editor and attended the North Carolina Writer’s Network spring conference.

I’ve been plagued with a health problem that bothered me all summer and finally got a diagnosis of polymyalgia rhematica and started in a heavy dose of prednisone that gave me immediate relief from the acute pain so at least I’m back to normal functioning again. Perhaps I should just lay low for a few weeks and regenerate some energy and enthusiasm.